It is readily apparent from a reference to the prior art that it has long been known to provide feeder devices that are operable for purposes of causing objects to be conveyed from one location to another. The conveyed objects can take many forms but are most often characterized by the fact that they are relatively small in size. For example, the objects may comprise small parts such as rivets, nuts, screws, etc. which are being conveyed from one location whereat a suitable supply thereof is provided to another location whereat some form of automatic machinery is located which in turn is operable to cause the conveyed parts to be assembled with other parts to form some larger assembly. In other instances, the objects may take the form of pharmaceutical products such as pills which are caused to be conveyed by the feeder device from a suitable source of supply thereof to some form of pill dispensing apparatus, the latter being operable to cause a predetermined count of the pills to be dispensed into a suitable receptacle such as a bottle, etc. Another application in which such feeder devices are utilized is that of supplying bottle caps to automatic bottling machinery. In the latter type of application, the feeder devices provide a means whereby bottle caps are provided to the bottling machinery which in turn functions to cause the caps to be applied to the bottles after the latter have been filled with a suitable form of contents.
There have also been provided heretofore in accord with the teachings of the prior art feeder devices which are operable to perform in lieu of or in addition to the conveying function, other types of functions. More specifically, there have been provided feeder devices which embody means operable to render the feeder device capable of performing the additional function of causing objects, which are disoriented, to become oriented as they are being conveyed. Other feeder devices on the other hand, have embodied means operable so as to enable a feeder device which is so equipped to perform a counting function as well as a conveying function. Namely, through the operation of this form of feeder device the objects as they are being conveyed are also capable of being counted. To further exemplify the additional functions which feeder devices have been known to perform, reference will be made by way of illustration to the fact that it has been known to provide feeder devices embodying means whereby the feeder device is operable to enable an inspection function to be performed on the objects which are conveyed through operation of the feeder device.
Although the aforedescribed forms of feeder devices are essentially all characterized by the fact that they are operative to cause objects to be conveyed from one location to another, the means by which the conveying function is accomplished differs. For example, some prior art forms of feeder devices rely on gravity to provide the force through which the objects are caused to move from one point to another. In other instances, a mechanical means such as a rotating belt is associated with the feeder device whereby objects placed on the belt are conveyed from one locationn to another as the belt rotates. Another form of motive power operable to impart movement to objects with which feeder devices have often been equipped is that of vibration. More specifically, this form of feeder device is designed to be operable to generate a straight line vibratory motion whereby in turn objects which are subjected thereto will be caused to move in a straight line direction from one point to another. This vibratory motion is commonly produced through the action of an electromagnet. It has been found necessary, however, with a vibratory feeder device that the frequency of vibration generated thereby must be varied depending upon the nature of the objects, i.e., the load to which it is desired to impart movement. Namely, the vibratory feeder device must embody means capable of enabling the feeder device to provide resonant action for a variety of different loads.
With further reference to the vibratory form of feeder device, although a number of different embodiments thereof have been provided heretofore in the prior art, in general they have all been disadvantageously characterized by the fact that they are difficult to adjust. More specifically, as was noted in the preceding paragraph it is desirable that the feeder devices be capable of being adjusted so that they are capable of being tuned depending on the load with which they are being employed. Obviously, it would not be desirable either from an economic standpoint or from the standpoint of ease of employment to be required to provide a different vibratory feeder device for each different load. Recognizing the latter, prior art efforts have resulted in providing feeder devices which do embody the aforedescribed adjustment capability. The disadvantage therewith, however, has been that in order to effect the adjustment such vibratory feeder devices must be in an inoperative condition. Namely, the operation of the vibratory feeder device must be stopped to effect the adjustment. The need therefor, however, renders the task of performing the adjustment difficult in that it is necessary to employ a trial and error procedure to properly tune the subject vibratory feeder device. More specifically, it has been necessary to follow the following procedure in order to effect a tuning of such a vibratory feeder device. First, recognizing that the vibratory feeder device is not tuned for the particular load with which it is desired to be employed, the feeder device must be shut off. With the feeder device in an inoperative state, the frequency of vibration of the feeder device is adjusted by means of the adjustment means with which the latter is provided. Then, the vibratory feeder device is once again placed in an operative state in order to determine whether the adjustment which has been made is sufficient to cause the vibratory feeder device to be tuned for the particular load with which it is to be employed. If it is found that the vibratory feeder device is still not properly tuned, then the feeder device must once again be shut off and a further adjustment made thereto. The aforedescribed procedure is continuously repeated until the vibratory feeder device becomes properly tuned. Obviously, such an adjustment procedure represents a time-consuming task.
There has therefore been evidenced a need to provide a new and improved vibratory feeder device which would obviate the disadvantages possessed by prior art forms thereof. More specifically, although a number of vibratory feeder devices have been provided heretofore, none of them have proven to be entirely satisfactory when placed in operation. By and large, this has been because such prior art forms of vibratory feeder device are characterized by the need to practice the procedure described in the preceding paragraph to effect an adjustment thereof. In addition, others of such prior art vibratory feeder devices have been disadvantageously characterized insofar as concerns the extent to which they can be considered to be versatile.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved feeder device of the type which is particularly suited to be employed in association with automatic machinery for purposes of conveying objects thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a feeder device which is of the vibratory type.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a feeder device which in addition to the conveying function is also capable of being employed to effect orientation of disoriented objects, to enable the conveyed objects to be counted, to enable the conveyed objects to be inspected, etc.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a vibratory feeder device which is characterized in the fact that it possesses the capability of enabling the frequency of vibration thereof to be tuned while the device is operating.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a vibratory feeder device which is characterized in the fact that it possesses the capability of enabling the armature gap setting to be adjusted while the device is operating.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide such a vibratory feeder device which is characterized by its flexibility in that it permits tooling to be bolted thereto either on the left side thereof, the right side thereof, or the top thereof, also by the fact that it embodies a durable construction, and finally by the fact that it is capable of high speed operation.